Dumbledore was pretty firm with him
by Possum132
Summary: What were Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape arguing about in the Forbidden Forest? The Unbreakable Vow, of course! Follow up to Threesome at Spinner's End.
1. Chapter 1: Albus Dumbledore

**Dumbledore was pretty firm with him**

**Chapter 1: Dumbledore**

_This can be read as a stand-alone fic, but if you read the prequels "Why Snape never eats here", "Malice in his voice" and "Threesome at Spinner's End" and the sequels "I taught him! I thought I knew him", "Well done, Draco, well done" and "Power the Dark Lord knows not" you will get a better feel for the particular version of the Potterverse in which this story is set._

He thinks, I know what Severus wants to talk about, and this is not a conversation I want to have in my study, the portraits will all be listening, and they'll talk. They are only sworn to serve and obey me while I live, when I'm dead they'll talk. _Loose lips sink ships_, as the Muggles used to say in their version of the war against Grindelwald, and it's probably a good thing the Muggles don't know how their world was nearly destroyed by the malevolence of one mad wizard and his followers, and the indifference of the rest … they wouldn't be happy about it at all. Yes, it's definitely better to meet Severus in the Forbidden Forest if he wants to discuss the Vow, when he fulfils the Vow I don't want to lose everything I'm gambling for because Phineas Nigellus is a boastful old gossip who can't keep his mouth shut.

He remembers when Severus first told him how Narcissa Malfoy had tricked him into the Unbreakable Vow, told him that he intended to break it, and he'd thought - I need to see how this affects the game, how this affects where the pieces are on the board. Draco will never do it, I hope and pray he'll never attempt it, he has been a rather unpleasant boy at times, but mostly in an attempt to please his father. He's still a child, for all his pretensions, still an innocent, and we may yet be able to save him. But if Draco fails in the task that Voldemort has given him, it falls to Severus, and Severus can do it, I know what's in his Ministry file, I know what's he capable of. He _can_ do it, and he _will_ do it if he has to, and there's even a little part of him that _wants_ to do it. Severus lost his innocence so long ago, he'd stepped over a dozen bodies – and that's not counting the Muggles - before he came to me, and he would have cheerfully stepped over a dozen more, if Voldemort hadn't threatened someone he loved, if Voldemort had chosen Neville instead of Harry. He won't admit that he loved Lily - he won't admit that he loves me, either - but no man betrays the Dark Lord lightly, no man betrays the Dark Lord for anything less than love.

His mind drifts back to when Severus first came back to Hogwarts, when he applied for the Defence Against the Dark Arts position, and he thinks, as if I needed Legilimency to see that he belonged to Voldemort! He was dangerous enough when he left Hogwarts, but when he came back he had an aura of deadly power, and why would he have ever voluntarily returned to the place which held so many painful memories? I thought it best to keep Voldemort's young spy close at hand where I could keep an eye on him, so I gave him a job teaching Potions, he didn't want it but he dared not refuse it and disappoint his master, and who could have forseen what would come of it?

And now it comes to this – Severus' life or mine? Which does Harry need most? Should I sacrifice the bishop to move my knight and my queen into position … bad analogy, that, Harry is both king and queen, both the most powerful and the most vulnerable piece … Voldemort will never suspect the move - he can't imagine that the only wizard he's ever feared, the leader of his enemies, might be prepared to die for the cause - in his mind _he_ is the cause, and there is no fate more terrible than death. If Severus fulfills the Vow his position will be secure, and only one piece – Bellatrix Lestrange – will stand in the way, and then Severus will be the most loyal, the most faithful servant, the only one with any chance of being entrusted with the secret of the Horcruxes, and he'll be Harry's last line of defence, the one that Voldemort will never suspect, Harry's last protector in dire need. No, I don't need Severus to trade his life for mine, I need him to trade his life for Harry's.

He remembers when they'd first discussed the Vow, strolling by the Lake in the summer sun, discussed how the game was shaping up. He'd told Severus what he suspected about the diary, that it was a Horcrux, and Severus had smirked triumphantly, he'd worked that out for himself, oh yes, Severus is a bright lad, a very bright lad indeed. He'd made his mind up then and he'd asked Severus to promise that he would do it, to promise to obey him, and he'd just stood there with his arms folded, curtains of greasy black hair hiding his face, hiding his thoughts, in the way that he does when he's sulking, and had said something bitter about preferring immediate death with honour to being hunted up and down the country like a mad dog and then blown apart by the entire Auror Corps. He frowns at the memory of how he'd tried to lighten the mood by reminding Severus of what Phineas Nigellus always says about Slytherins – they're brave but not stupid, and given the choice, will always choose to save themselves – in hindsight _that_ had been cruelly insensitive.

Severus will keep his life if he fulfils the Vow, but he'll lose everything else, he'll have to flee from the place that has been his home for most of his life, and he'll have to bear the loathing and contempt of the whole wizarding world, the _Daily Prophet_ will print every vile detail from his Ministry file, and - what the strange proud creature dreads most of all – it will rake over the old scandal involving his mother's family. And he'll need to deal with Bellatrix Lestrange, they hadn't discussed that in detail, it wasn't necessary, Severus knows he has to find a way to kill her without losing Voldemort's favour; and Voldemort will give him more tasks – breaking Lucius Malfoy and the other Death Eaters captured in the Department of Mysteries out of Azkaban, for a guess - Severus knows what he will have to do, commit crime after crime in the service of the Dark Lord until it's over, until the prophecy is fulfilled. He'd felt for Severus, but it was too important a matter to leave hanging, it's open warfare with Voldemort now, so he'd pushed him for the promise of obedience, and he'd agreed.

He thinks, it has been dreadfully hard on Severus this year, caught between me and the Dark Lord he hates and fears and adores, and with the Vow hanging over his head like the proverbial Sword of Damocles. He must be close to breaking point, and teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts hasn't been good for him, I would never have given him the job but I needed Horace Slughorn here, only Harry can get _that_ memory from him, the memory I need to be absolutely sure of what I suspect, and heaven knows what memories having Horace back at Hogwarts teaching Potions again are dredging up for Severus. My poor dear Severus, all his compulsive, self-destructive behaviours have been getting steadily worse since the summer break … he's drinking too much, smoking too much – filthy Muggle habit, I wish he would give it up, doesn't he know what it does to his _teeth_? And there's the other thing, but that's not surprising, Severus has noticed how much Ginny Weasley resembles Lily – I'd wager a stack of galleons there is Weasley blood somewhere in the Evans family tree - and he can see it coming, history repeating itself, Potter catches the Snitch, Potter gets the girl. And that's just one more reason for Severus to keep on hurting himself, because his desire to be loved is only outweighed by his determination to be unlovable, as he has demonstrated to every good looking young female staff member who has ever made the mistake of being attracted to him, and most recently with that sad, sordid little incident last year involving Nymphadora Tonks. Yes, his behaviour deteriorated noticeably after that incident, and now it's completely out of hand, he slinks off to London, to those Muggle, ah, nightclubs, as they call them, every chance he gets. Of course I know what he does because he has to ask me for permission to leave Hogwarts, Minerva may be the Deputy Headmistress but I need to know that Severus will be here before I can leave the castle myself, if Voldemort changes his plans, if the Death Eaters somehow manage to break the wards, if they come for Harry and I'm away, if there's fighting in Hogwarts, if the students are in danger, I _must_ have Severus here. I know where he goes and what he does, and I try not to let him see how much it saddens me.

He remembers something he read in a Muggle book about their war against Grindelwald, something an American admiral had said, "When the shit hits the fan, they send for the sons-of-bitches," and he thinks, crudely expressed but true, so true, I know all the Order think Severus is an absolute son-of-a-bitch, and they're right, but don't they ever stop to think, how long would he have lasted if he wasn't, Regulus Black was a nice boy and how long did he last after he turned against Voldemort?

He sighs, and thinks, if Severus is vicious and immature, that is also partly my fault … Severus could never admit to himself that that he loved Lily, that he loved James Potter's wife, because to do so would be gall and wormwood to him, would be to admit that James had defeated him in every possible way, and because he denies it, he has no hope of ever getting over it. But I didn't help, I let him stay at Hogwarts, wallowing in his misery and his memories and honing his cruel, sarcastic persona to a knife edge, for ten years, instead of sending him away, giving him a chance to make his own life. At first I kept him because he was so … fragile … after Voldemort fell, if someone hadn't been kind to him I think he might have killed himself, and he wasn't safe outside Hogwarts, two hundred witches and wizards heard me say in the Wizengamot that he'd been a Death Eater, and far too many people knew about the things in his Ministry file, the file that is _supposed _to be confidential, I won't forget that week he spent in St Mungo's in a hurry, he nearly died.

Damn it, he thinks, I never expected Severus to be awarded an Order of Merlin, First Class, for what he did in the first war against Voldemort, but he was treated cruelly. It was two days before I even heard that he'd been arrested, and when he wouldn't talk, when Alastor Moody found that he couldn't break the man, he broke his wand. Breaking an adult wizard's wand is a serious thing, a very serious thing, it is a shameful punishment, only meted out by the Wizengamot to criminals sentenced to Azkaban for life, oh why did Alastor have to give Severus yet _another_ reason to hate the whole world? Yes, I kept him while the storm raged, and then I kept him because I knew Voldemort would return, and I would need him again, and I didn't realise the mistake I'd made until I saw that venomous look on his face at Harry's Sorting – dear god, why does Harry have to be the very image of James, with his mother's eyes? It's ironic really, neither Severus, who hates Harry, nor Sirius, who loves Harry - he corrects himself, Sirius has been dead for many months now - who _loved_ Harry, are really able to distinguish the son from the father, they're both so mesmerised by the physical resemblance.

Harry! Severus' feelings for Harry are so complicated that they defy understanding but there's no doubt that he hates him, fears him, and envies him. And there is also no doubt that Severus will never hurt Harry, not seriously, anyway. To Severus, Harry is the weapon, the weapon against Voldemort … and he is Lily's son.

He considers for a moment – can I really trust Severus with Harry? I know what it says in his Ministry file, "I enjoy killing. I don't do it any more. I know it is wrong." … and what it should say, "I enjoy killing. I don't do it any more. Dumbledore says it's wrong." He thinks, unflinchingly, Severus has the moral development of a six year old and the emotional development of a sixteen year old – not that many people realize that, he defends himself so well with a sharp wit and a poisonous tongue - can I trust him to be loyal to a mere memory of me? But he knows the answer to that question – Severus' understanding of the difference between right and wrong may be a little shaky, but he is as loyal as a phoenix, he has been loyal to a dead woman's memory for fifteen years, bound to her by guilt and grief and the desire for vengeance. He sighs and thinks, it is horrible but true, Severus will be bound more strongly to the memory of me when I'm dead, dead by his hand, than he ever was to me while I lived, he'll be bound to my memory as powerfully as he is bound to Lily's memory.

He thinks, I know I can trust him with Harry, Severus doesn't like it but he understands that Voldemort doesn't win when _I_ die, he wins when _Harry_ dies, and he will do whatever he has to do to save Harry, he'll do it grudgingly, furiously, unwillingly, bitterly, but he will do it. What Severus _doesn't_ understand is why Harry wasn't taught the Dark Arts from an early age, wasn't taught to use Voldemort's own methods. He remembers how Severus came to him, to offer to teach Harry the Unforgiveable Curses, how those black eyes had glittered with cruel anticipation, and he'd been disgusted and angry, and then saddened, when he saw how his anger frightened and confused Severus. He'd realised – he's trying to please me, bringing me a gift, like a cat bringing a bird or rat into the house, and he's so … childish … he brings me the gift he wants for himself – Harry, my sweet Harry, soiled and degraded, reduced to his level. Why hadn't he seen if before, the poor boy is jealous, so jealous of Harry, doesn't he understand, I can love them both, care for them both? Though if he were to be honest – more honest than he cares to be – he pities Severus, he cares for him, his heart aches for the poor damaged creature and the ruin he's made of his life – but Harry he loves, truly loves, how can he not love such a magnificent unspoiled person? And Harry will have _power the Dark Lord knows not_.

He remembers telling Harry about the prophecy, he'd said he'd tell him everything, but he hadn't told him _everything_, he hadn't told him about Severus, hadn't told him that Severus was the agent of Voldemort who overheard the first part of the prophecy, and that Severus is the reason why his mother had the choice to die for him, to make the sacrifice that saved him from Voldemort's curse. He thinks, Harry is not ready to hear that, maybe he will never be ready to hear it, but Severus is very deep in this story, and my heart tells me he will have some further part to play, for good or ill, before it is over.

And now Severus is standing in front of him, scowling and silent, uncertain how to begin, and he thinks, the boy must be the spitting image of the wretched Muggle who sired him, he's got nothing of his mother about him, except her black eyes, and that look on his face, both sullen and angry. Poor Eileen, she would have been a prefect, even Head Girl, if it wasn't for the scandal of a father serving a life sentence in Azkaban - a bitter thought given that he now has half a dozen students who are _proud_ to have fathers in Azkaban, but things were different before the rise of Voldemort. When she graduated from Hogwarts she'd simply disappeared, he hadn't thought about her for years, not until he looked through the new students' files, and seen her name on Severus' file, and realised she'd married a Muggle.

He'd watched the boy closely at the Sorting, as he watched all the first years, and wondered how he'd manage in Slytherin. There have been half-bloods in Slytherin from time to time, but the Muggle parent has always been rich or beautiful, or both, and that makes sense to a Slytherin, look at Riddle's mother, at least she chose a man who could give her son the advantages of astounding good looks and tremendous natural charm. What did Eileen see in Tobias Snape? The man must at least have been intelligent, Eileen wouldn't have tolerated a fool, but clearly there was no money, going by the boy's general shabbiness, and by Merlin, he was an unprepossessing little thing to look at, scrawny, hook-nosed and greasy-haired. He'd concluded that Eileen must have married the first man who offered, desperate to get away from her family, and possibly the whole of the wizarding world.

The next time he'd seen Severus was in his office, facing expulsion, a very nasty incident in the corridor outside Minerva's Transfiguration class, and it was only the first week of term. Severus had disarmed Sirius Black, sent his wand flying into the air, and Sirius had lost his temper, had tried to punch him, Muggle-style, in those days Sirius was inches taller than Severus, he would always be taller than Severus … and Severus had cast a bone-breaking curse that most of the seventh years didn't know existed let alone knew how to use, and had shattered every bone in Sirius' right hand and arm, so badly that Poppy needed to remove the bones and regrow them with Skele-Gro. He'd had Horace and Minerva in his office while he questioned the boy, trying to find out where he'd learned the curse and what had possessed him to use it.

He'd talked to him gently, calming him down so he could see inside his mind without being rough or intrusive. As he expected the boy had been teased mercilessly at his Muggle school, that wasn't unusual in the case of half-blood children if they had to live in the Muggle world, it was often harder for them than the Muggle-borns because they knew they were magical, but that didn't seem enough to explain his aggressive behaviour. There was something else, something the boy was hiding, by Merlin's beard, the child is only eleven years old, but already he has raised formidable barriers around his mind, he's a natural Occlumens.

Minerva had been steaming away in the background like a kettle reaching the boil, and finally she'd burst out angrily about a cowardly and vicious attack on a student who'd been disarmed.

He'd raised his hand to signal her to be silent, and the boy had flinched, his eyes fixed on the raised hand, and then the barriers had gone down and he'd seen it, a hook-nosed man shouting at a cowering woman, something about "Black magic", "deceitful bitch" and "freakish brat", the man raising his hand … and he'd realised, horrified, the boy thinks I'm going to hit him! And not just a slap either, he's been really knocked about, but it's the indignity, the humiliation, that he hates more than the pain. And there's something really sad, the trouble only started when the boy's father found out his wife was a witch, he thinks that all magic is evil, wrong, freakish, and he's tried to beat it out of the child. The boy was only six years old when his world fell apart, divided between the father he loves and hates and fears and the mother he loves and hates and despises, and he can't deny his magic, it would kill him to do so, it's so strong in him.

DAMN, HELL AND DAMNATION, he'd thought, these situations are intractable, it's outside the jurisdiction of Magical Law Enforcement because the perpetrator is a Muggle, and if Eileen hasn't left him by now she never will. As usual, all we can do is wait and watch and hope the kid doesn't grow up too badly maimed. So he'd lowered his hand, watching the fear and hate subside in the black eyes opposite, and he'd asked, "Who taught you that curse?"

"My mother."

"Why did you use it?"

"Because wizards don't hit each other with their fists, only filthy Muggles do that. Wizards fight with spells."

He'd explained the situation to the Heads of all of the Houses, and it wasn't expulsion, just a week's worth of detentions, and he'd tried to get Severus to understand the concept of an appropriate and measured response to provocation and when he saw he wasn't getting through to him, listed the hexes that were, de facto, tolerated – stinging hexes, bat bogey hex, jelly-legs, that sort of thing - and told him that using anything else would result in instant expulsion. Severus had grasped _that _immediately.

Eileen probably thought teaching the boy every hex under the sun was the best way to prepare her son to survive Sorting into Slytherin, but that ugly incident with Sirius had only attracted the worst kind of attention, from Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Black, for example. Lucius and Bellatrix! He never cares to probe Severus too much about his relationships with that malevolent pair, Severus still thinks of Lucius as a friend, and he can guess at what must have occurred between Severus and bold, beautiful, sexy Bellatrix Black, she must have been one of Voldemort's most effective recruiting agents.

And naturally Sirius had hated Severus from the moment they'd clashed so violently in that first week of term, had hated him because Severus represented everything he didn't want to be and was afraid that he was, a nasty little Dark wizard in training. And because Sirius hated Severus, James had disliked him, Peter loved to see anyone except himself being singled out for cruelty, Remus had gone along with it for the sake of his fledgling friendships, he'd been so happy to be accepted and liked for the first time in his life, there had been only four Gryffindor boys in that year, and it was natural that they made a tight little group. So it was usually four to one, Severus didn't really have friends in his year, he'd hung out with the gang of older kids dominated by Lucius and Bellatrix, and while they looked out for him, they weren't in his classes where most of the petty harassments took place.

However, Severus usually gave back as good as he got, and thankfully he had a real gift for Potions, so Horace had warmed to him, and things had gone on, fairly smoothly - although somehow Severus picked up that cruel nick-name 'Snivellus' - until his fifth year. That incident during the OWLS, when James had threatened to take Severus' pants off down by the Lake, and Lily had become involved in that – the last straw for Severus, he'd been so provoked, he'd lashed out even at her, and then been too proud and embarrassed to apologise until it was too late – had done serious damage. There was worse to follow in the next year, that dreadful business in the Shrieking Shack, and by the time Severus came back to Hogwarts in his seventh year, he had become really savage, he didn't do anything that would get him into trouble, he had learnt self-control by then, but for those with the eyes to see it he'd become a seething black cloud of rage and hate and wounded pride in human form, and he'd matured in that last year at Hogwarts, he'd grown up physically and magically once he turned seventeen and came of age, and developed into a graceful, dangerous young man. James and Sirius became curiously wary of hexing Severus that year, and girls started to notice him, and thank god Severus had reciprocated the interest – perhaps a little too enthusiastically, given the unpleasant gossip Bertha Jorkins spread about him and that sweet little Hufflepuff, Florence ... Florence, damn, he can't remember her surname - otherwise he might have thought he had another Tom Riddle on his hands.

Riddle's complete lack of interest in sex had been one of the things that alerted him to the fact that there was something very, very wrong with young Tom, the best-looking boy in the school, girls hung around him like flies, even the normally aloof Minerva McGonagall, not that she'd thank him for reminding her of _that_, and if Riddle had been interested in boys there were quite a few who would have been willing. But Riddle had been completely obsessed, even as a teenager, with overcoming death, when a man is determined to achieve immortality he has no need for heirs, and the primeval urge to reproduce has an awful lot to do with all that excitement in bed. No, the boy Riddle wasn't interested in any form of human neediness or contact, not even of the basest kind, and Severus has confirmed that Voldemort has never been known to engage in sexual activities, though not in so many words, he's surprisingly prudish for a man who spends his Saturday nights picking up women in Muggle singles bars.

Severus is still glaring at him, at a loss as to where to begin, and he realises, this isn't just one of his tantrums, this is _serious_, Severus is really angry and he's frightened, too, he's struggling not to lose control, struggling to keep his barriers up. Sweet Merlin, how could I not see this coming, he's on the verge of tears, and Severus _never_ cries, he didn't cry when Remus attacked him in the Shrieking Shack, he didn't cry when Lily died, he _never_ cries … no, that's not true, he cried when he came to me, begged me to save Lily, and I made him show me the Dark Mark, the Mark of the master he swore to leave forever.

He plays for time, asks pleasantly, "How are you going with Draco?"

Severus somehow musters one of his legendary sneers. "Aunt Bellatrix has taught him both to distrust me, and the rudiments of Occlumency. I must say, Headmaster, that Draco seems to have quite an aptitude for Occlumency – unlike _Potter_."

Inwardly he groans, can't Severus ever leave it alone, must he always pick at his sores, even at a time like this?

Severus is speaking again, "I can't break into Draco's mind without using techniques of which you would not approve, and which in any event the Unbreakable Vow precludes me from applying."

But just speaking of the Vow aloud has rattled Severus, rattled him enough to tear down the barriers. He looks into the black eyes opposite, and he's shocked at what he sees, an incoherent stream of childish anger, pain and fear: _Albus, why are you doing this to me? You're like my father, I try to please you and it isn't enough, it's never enough, are you hurting me like this because I'm just a filthy Slytherin, because I'm not one of your golden Gryffindors? You don't care what's going to happen to me, you're LEAVING me, Albus, you're leaving me all alone, leaving me to rot … to rot in an unmarked grave in Azkaban. Albus, I've been good, I've been good for you for fifteen years, but you're still making me do it, you're giving me back to HIM, and then I will do bad things, and you will be angry with me, and I don't want you to be angry with me, it hurts, I want it to stop hurting … ._

It is as if a dam has been breached, Severus is completely out of control, he's shouting, "YOU TAKE TOO MUCH FOR GRANTED, DUMBLEDORE, AND I WON'T DO IT! I'VE HAD ENOUGH, I WANT OUT, I WANT IT TO END, I DON'T CARE ANY MORE!"

He winces, remembering how Harry shouted the same words in his office after Sirius died, but this is a much more serious situation, Harry only smashed a few trinkets but Severus' wand is in his hand, green sparks are showering from the tip of his wand, he's nearly out of his mind and capable of doing serious damage. He feels the magic building around Severus, when it discharges there's going to be one hell of a blast, he's too close to Severus to throw up an effective shield, it could kill both of them, and he's got to stop it. There's no time to be gentle, he's got to get Severus' attention _now_.

He shouts, "PROFESSOR SNAPE, YOU WILL DO WHAT YOU HAVE AGREED TO DO, YOU WILL CONTINUE WITH YOUR INVESTIGATIONS INTO SLYTHERIN HOUSE, AND YOU WILL REMEMBER THAT **_I_** AM THE HEADMASTER OF THIS SCHOOL!"

Severus is swaying, blinking, looking hurt and confused, he can feel the magic swirling around them but there's no blast, just a minor shock wave as it spreads out and begins to dissipate. Dear god, it has worked but it's awful to see, Severus has lowered his wand and dropped to his knees, he's kissing his robes, trembling and whimpering, "Master, I am sorry, do not punish me …"

He thinks, what have I done to Severus? I have used him as cruelly as Voldemort does, and now he's cringing to me as he does to his Dark Lord, I have dragged him into the arena to face the battle, and he deserves better, he deserves the dignity of a choice. Carefully, slowly – best not to make any sudden movements while he's in this state - he kneels down, embraces the man cowering at his feet, and just holds him until the shaking stops, speaks to him soothingly, "Severus, it's _me_, it's _Albus_, I won't hurt you, I'm not angry, I'm not angry with you, Severus, I promise I won't be angry with you, whatever you do, whatever you do for _him_, I won't be angry with you, I promise I won't be angry, I'll never be angry with you …." And when he sees that Severus has come back to his senses, he tells him, "Severus, I release you from your promise of obedience. When the time comes, you must do what you think best. You must choose."

But a little voice at the back of his mind is saying, the poor boy doesn't really have a choice, when the time comes, I will ask him to do it, and for love of me he will do what I ask of him, though it tears him apart.


	2. Chapter 2: Severus Snape

**Dumbledore was pretty firm with him**

**Chapter 2: Severus Snape**

He's exhausted, exhausted and cranky, he could teach Potions in his sleep, but it was hard work putting together the Defence Against the Dark Arts coursework, it's not like there was anything to build on, he had to start from scratch, and it's frustrating, he knows so much more than Dumbledore will let him put in the curriculum, and it's nearly all theory and no practical application, he's almost missing Potions, at least the hands-on aspects of it.

He grumbles to himself, the student texts are piss-weak, written by people who've never even cast an Unforgiveable …. they give the impression that the Unforgiveable Curses are the be-all and the end-all of the Dark Arts, you just have to point your wand and say the words, and it's not that simple, OK they are powerful curses but they do have their limits. The Imperius is not reliable, it's fine for Muggles and the weak willed but a strong witch or wizard can throw it off, you need to constantly monitor the subject and renew the curse. The Cruciatus is fine if you have the time and the inclination to kill someone slowly and painfully, it's also useful for interrogation but you need a light touch or you'll destroy the subject's mind before you get any useful information - pity Bellatrix could never grasp that really effective interrogation requires a skilful cocktail of pain, humiliation, Veritaserum and Legilimency – but it's not an effective curse in a firefight because you've got to hold the curse and it doesn't cause enough physical harm to disable an opponent if it's quickly lifted, which is likely to happen in a pitched battle. The Killing Curse is a precision weapon, it's a stiletto not a club, and not to be thrown around like confetti as so many idiots do. You've got to have focus to use the Killing Curse, it's ineffective and a total waste of energy unless you score a direct hit, and you're better off using something that will really do some damage even if it's only a glancing blow - a bone-breaking curse is his personal favourite - unless you're sure of your aim, straight to the heart or between the eyes. He muses, the Killing Curse is a lovely elegant curse, used skilfully it'll punch through any Shield charm, oh it's deadly alright and a buzz to use. He whispers to himself _Avada Kedavra_ … he doesn't have his wand in his hand, it won't do any harm …

Yes, he knows so much more than he's allowed to teach the brats, he'd come close to telling his seventh years about Lust Potions when he discovered a couple of the Hufflepuff girls wasting class time giggling over the WonderWitch Love Potions in a Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes catalogue. Love Potions are fluffy, romantic things compared to Lust Potions, designed to operate on the mind and the heart, OK the consequences of using them can be unfortunate but they're not intended to hurt the subject, quite the reverse …. Lust Potions, on other hand, are designed to operate directly on the genitals, leaving the subject's mind and heart unaffected, and they're intended to cause suffering, humiliation, even a cruel death. Oh yes, even Amortentia, the most powerful of the Love Potions, can't do one tenth of the harm that even a mild Lust Potion can.

Amortentia, still one of Slughorn's party tricks to impress his NEWT students! He remembers walking into his first Potions class in seventh year, and finding that Slughorn had teamed him with Lily Evans. He knew _exactly_ who she was, of course, the new Head Girl, a Muggle-born Gryffindor, outstanding in Charms and Potions, and although he'd never talked to her much - they'd never had a Potions class together before - he'd spent years quietly listening to her conversations with her friends in the library, the table she habitually used was close to his favourite nook next to the Restricted Section, and she'd always been civil to him, even after he'd called her a Mudblood. He'd scowled a little, listening to old Slug enthusing over "my two most brilliant students, I'm sure you'll be doing a lot of extra credit work together, I can see outstanding NEWT scores for both of you," but he couldn't help noticing how she'd changed over the summer break. She'd always been attractive but now she was gorgeous, as beautiful as Narcissa Black and just as unattainable as Lucius' fiancée, his position as a half-blood – if they ever found out about his filthy Muggle father - was too precarious for him to risk getting involved with a Muggle-born even she could overlook the Mudblood insult, but he'd been close enough to catch the scent of her hair, she used some brand of Muggle shampoo, and it smelled pleasant. They'd walked up to Slug's desk together, to get a closer view of the Amortentia, and he'd thought, what a waste of time, a complex potion, yes, but we won't be allowed to have a go at brewing it, Love Potions are banned, anyway this stuff only works on weak minds, I can't smell anything different, just Lily's hair, I could smell that before, mmm, nice ….

Slughorn! He can't say that he's pleased to have Slughorn back at Hogwarts, he was a bloody useless Head of House, OK he looked after his favourites, the Slug Club, but he didn't do much to keep the Gryffindors in check, well now he's Head of Slytherin and he knows how to take care of his students … what he would do if a gang of Gryffindors started picking on a lone Slytherin doesn't bear thinking about ….

He snarls a little, he's not sleeping well, no wonder he's so irritable these days, the magic of the Vow has worked its way into every fibre of his being, it persistently nags and worries at him, drives him to restlessly prowl the corridors, watching out for Draco. He thinks, fucking hell, Lucius, why did you have to stuff up so badly in the Department of Mysteries and dump this shit on me? Now that he knows – suspects – what the diary was, he's amazed that the Dark Lord didn't kill Lucius out of hand, but no, he was given a second chance - ha, it isn't only Dumbledore who gives second chances – but Lucius had to screw it up didn't he? He thinks, damn you Lucius, I _miss_ you, all my close friends from the old days are dead or in Azkaban, and now I have to look after Draco. Draco is up to something, I don't know what, but something a bit smarter than that ludicrous business with the necklace, of course he was involved, that necklace was priced by Borgin and Burkes at 1,500 galleons, that's serious money, Malfoy money! He thinks, Bellatrix has been poisoning Draco against me, if only he would trust me … and I can't break into the little twerp's mind, the Vow gives me a fucking _migraine_ if I even try. He snarls again, Bellatrix, you're really pissing me off, it's going to be a _pleasure_ to take you apart when the chance comes.

Snooping around after Draco Malfoy reminds him of Potter's first year at the school, when he shadowed his steps constantly, guarding the ungrateful brat against Quirrell, against the Dark Lord's instrument. Potter, Potter, always bloody Potter …. He remembers how Potter challenged him in that first Defence Against the Dark lesson, Potter's Shield charm had been surprisingly strong and he'd been so angry he'd had to really struggle with himself not to lash out, smash the Shield, and show Potter some seriously Dark magic, not the pathetic jelly-legs curse Weasley had been mumbling, something vicious …. _Sectumsempra, for enemies_ ….

His temper is getting hard to control, even he would admit that, and it doesn't help that he's drinking too much, _definitely_ drinking too much, smoking too much … bugger it, he really feels like a cigarette _right now_, but Dumbledore only lets him smoke in his private quarters, funny how both his masters think smoking is a filthy Muggle habit. He sneers, yes Headmaster, I know what it does to my teeth _and_ my lungs, big fucking deal, like I'm going to live to a ripe old age and die in my own bed surrounded by a bevy of grieving grandchildren anyway.

He thinks, again, I'm tired, I'm not getting enough sleep, especially on the weekends, I shouldn't nick off to London so often. He winces a little at the memory of last Saturday night, screwing some woman whose name he doesn't even know in the back of a taxi, they'd both been so drunk and desperate, they'd started pawing at each other as soon as they got in the cab, not that a Muggle's name is important but usually he at least knows their names. Then he pushes away the little prickle of shame, hell, he's only 38, Dumbledore can't expect him to live like a monk, and he feels resentful, the Headmaster is keeping him on a leash, he has to ask every time he wants to leave the castle, and Dumbledore looks at him … he doesn't like the way Dumbledore looks at him. What he does in his free time is his own business, shit, there are some nasty things in his Ministry file but rape is not one of them, he's never even used the Imperius Curse on a woman, so why is Dumbledore looking at him like that? OK, his behaviour lately has been a bit … immature … but Narcissa hasn't been near him since she tricked him into taking the Unbreakable Vow, and it's better than curling up alone in his quarters in the dungeons, when he can't help fumbling under his nightshirt and thinking of red hair and green eyes, why is he thinking of Lily, she's been dead for fifteen years, but of course he can't stop thinking about her, she's the reason why he's in this awful mess.

He remembers the last time he saw Lily, it was just before Halloween, McGonagall had mentioned that the Potters were staying at the Leaky Cauldron for a few days, and he'd suddenly remembered that he urgently needed some Potions supplies from Diagon Alley. Well, he'd been glad of an excuse to get away for a while, it was as boring as batshit at Hogwarts, and while Hogsmeade might be the only purely wizarding community in Britain it was also a dull little village with no kind of social life for a guy in his early twenties, if he so much as put his hand up a girl's robes she acted like it was a marriage proposal. He'd been pretty resentful about being stuck at the school, like he'd ever want to come back to the place where the Marauders had given him hell for seven years, teaching snotty brats for god's sake, and not even Defence Against the Dark Arts! OK, he was well qualified to teach Potions but it didn't exactly enthrall him … but if the Dark Lord gave you a job to do you bloody well did it and you didn't bitch – well, you were careful about who you bitched to, anyway.

Yes, he was stuck up at Hogwarts, out of the action, spending his time trailing round after Dumbledore, it had been a coup overhearing the prophecy, the Dark Lord had been very pleased, but it didn't look like anything that good was going to come up again anytime soon, and he had a sneaking suspicion that Dumbledore was on to him. But how? His Occlumency was superb, even the Dark Lord couldn't always read his mind, that's why he had been picked for the job. So, the war was hotting up, and he wasn't getting much of the serious action, not that he missed the Muggle killing raids, too easy, it was like shooting fish in a barrel, and he didn't like the way the others sometimes amused themselves with Muggle females before they killed them … but he wasn't getting much of a chance at the kind of action that won praise and reward from the Dark Lord, taking down Aurors or members of the Order of the Phoenix.

He'd cancelled his classes for the day and Flooed straight down to London, and he'd run into Lily as soon as he walked into the Leaky Cauldron. The last time he'd seen her she'd told him that she was pregnant but it was still a shock to see her holding James Potter's baby, Merlin she was as gorgeous as ever, she just looked a bit tired, thank god that prick James wasn't anywhere in sight, they might get a chance to talk for a bit, maybe have lunch together, he can have lunch with an old friend can't he? It's not like there's anything between them, ha, Severus Snape and James Potter's wife, well if she offered he wouldn't say no, she's a beautiful woman, but the idea is laughable. She'd smiled at him, but he'd seen fear in her eyes, surely she wasn't afraid of him, she must know that he'd never hurt her, his quarrel was purely with James, yes, he'd kill the bastard as soon as look at him, and then he'd realised that she wasn't afraid of him, she was afraid for him, he'd caught the thought, "Sev's clever and he's a powerful wizard now, _He_ will want him, and Severus is a Slytherin, lots of Slytherins have gone over to his side," and he'd thought, yes, I have gone over to the side of the Dark Lord, and when he's won I'll be _rewarded_. And then he'd realised that he'd never really thought about what it will be like when the Dark Lord wins, when he's Minister for Magic, and he'd thought, he wouldn't really kill all the Muggle-borns, that's just propaganda, it sounds good, purifying the blood, but there are just too many Muggle-borns, killing them all would be crazy, the Dark Lord wouldn't kill Lily and her child just because she's Muggle-born? But he'd felt a twinge of fear for her, and he'd looked at the baby again and had the absurd thought, _with all that black hair and green eyes, the brat in her arms could be mine_, and for some reason that thought had hurt.

He'd sat with her and chatted for a while, and Lily had told him that the child was three months old and he'd worked it out, born at the end of July, _born as the seventh month dies_, and then he'd been really frightened. He'd thought, "I should tell the Dark Lord that the Potters have a son born at the end of July but he probably already knows …" and so he hadn't told the Dark Lord, it was the very beginning of his betrayal of his master, and it was less than two weeks later that the Dark Lord called them together and told them – it was the Potter child, he was the one, the one referred to in the prophecy, the one that must die, and so he'd gone to Dumbledore. He'd gone to Dumbledore, and blurted it all out, and he'd thought it would be Azkaban, but Dumbledore had other ideas …

Yes, he'd chatted with Lily for a while, it had been ages since they'd seen each other, she told him about the research at St Mungo's she'd been assisting with before the baby was born, a werewolf treatment, something to help soothe the pain of the transformations, really complex stuff. He'd kept his opinion of werewolves to himself, Lily had a soft spot for that _animal_ Lupin, she had to believe the best of everyone, that was her weakness, but if she'd ever seen the brute transformed she'd have a different opinion.

She couldn't have lunch with him, though, because Sirius Black was coming to take her home to Godrick's Hollow, James was tied up at the Ministry – urgent business of some kind – and he'd cursed to himself, didn't she know what that arsehole Black was after? Oh, he acted like he wasn't interested when they were all at school together, he always had a different girl with him every Hogsmeade weekend, but he was hot for Lily, he was sniffing around her, waiting for his chance, waiting for Lily to tire of Potter. He thinks, viciously, wouldn't it be delightful if precious Harry Potter found out his dear departed godfather had leched after his mother, he wouldn't be mourning the mutt quite so extravagantly if he knew _that_. Maybe he could let this drop sometime … but even he is shocked at the nastiness of that thought, and he thinks, maybe I'm going a little mad, maybe Albus was right to keep the Defence Against the Dark Arts position from me for so long.

It's ironic really, he'd wanted the job so much, but it's turned out to be dust and ashes, since Slughorn came back to the school and started teaching Potions again, time seems to be surging out of control, he feels as if he's gone back twenty years, to his last year at school. He's seventeen again, a god-awful time in his life, NEWT exams at the end of the year, Rosier and Wilkes - the last of his gang, the last of his close friends – have gone, Lily has started going out with James _fucking_ Potter, and his parents are still alive.

His parents! Merlin's beard, he hasn't thought about them in years, his father's drunken rages, how he called them "freaks", thought all magic was Dark magic – serve him right, the ignorant Muggle, for snooping through his mother's spell books - and shouted about wizards interfering in Muggle affairs, he was obsessed with the war against Grindelwald. His own father had been killed in the Muggle version of the war, he seemed to think it was all a conspiracy by wizards, what crap, OK, Grindelwald had stirred the Muggles up to fight amongst themselves, but it was mostly their own doing. He flexes his fingers a little, remembering how he'd hated his father, hated him for the blows and insults, how dare a filthy Muggle raise his hand to a wizard! And he'd despised his mother, that Muggle psychology book called it "co-dependency", she could have hexed his father to hell and back again but she wouldn't raise her wand against him, the only time she'd stood up to his father was when she insisted that he go to Hogwarts. Oh, when he was a teenager he'd spent hour upon hour upon hour, lying on his bed in that dark little bedroom, planning to kill his father by some incredibly baroque means that the Ministry or the Muggle police would never discover – and then the old man had the nerve to fall down the stairs, dead drunk, and break his neck, just before he graduated from Hogwarts. The anger causes the vein to throb in his temple - great, now he's getting another _fucking_ headache – oh yes, when he was seventeen he'd thought the Dark Lord was on the right track when it came to the Muggles, killing them all was bit extreme, but they needed to be shown their place.

A Muggle saying pops into his head, _those who do not learn from the past are condemned to repeat it_, well he certainly feels like he's been condemned to repeat the past, Potter is looking more and more like his father as he grows up, if that could be _possible_, and Ginny … Ginny is like Lily in so many ways, he'd bet a stack of galleons that there is Weasley blood somewhere in the Evans family tree. He's seen Potter looking at Ginny in the Great Hall at mealtimes, how much longer will it before they're together, before Harry Potter and Ginevra Weasley are inseparable, before Potter is gloating over his prize like his odious father gloated over Lily? He remembers James and Lily, hand in hand everywhere around the castle, kissing in the Restricted Section of the library. Not that he was going to pine after Lily, sure, he fancied her, fancied her a lot, who didn't, she was the favourite wet dream of half the boys at Hogwarts, but it wasn't like he was in _love_ with her or anything, there were plenty of other girls around, and some of them didn't stop at kissing, no, it had been more than kissing with Florence - with Florence, he can't remember her surname now – behind the Hogwarts greenhouses.

He thinks, what an idiot I've been, why did I stay at Hogwarts so long, in a dead-end teaching job, I could have got out when the fuss died down. People were pretty quick to start forgetting about the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters, I didn't need Dumbledore's protection any longer, I could have got out, but I stayed, I stayed until Potter came, and now it's all churning around in my head again, all the things that I don't want to remember, my last year at Hogwarts … and what happened after I left school. I'm trapped, and it's all happening again. But he couldn't explain what he means by "happening again" – all he knows is that he's rushing towards the brink of the precipice, it's as if he's being swept away by one of those Andean rivers he's seen on the wildlife documentaries he likes watching on Muggle television, a raging torrent full of meltwater, rushing to join the mighty Amazon, and suddenly it's tumbling down the side of a mountain in a waterfall as high as the Astronomy Tower, white spray flying everywhere. And when the moment comes he will fall, fall all the way down into the darkness, fall into the arms of the Dark Lord again.

And suddenly he's angry with Dumbledore, he's staring into the Headmaster's calm blue eyes, and he's really angry, and he never gets angry with Dumbledore. Sure, sometimes he disagrees with the Headmaster, he certainly disagreed with him over appointing Lupin to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts, and sometimes he gets a bit snarky with him, it's practically a game between them, he snarls and grumbles a bit, sometimes he even threatens to resign, and then he lets the Headmaster soothe him, calm him down, offer him one of his blasted sweets. And with the anger comes fear, Merlin, if he showed his temper to the Dark Lord like that, he'd be _punished_, favourite or no favourite, he'd end up a sticky patch on the floor, the Dark Lord does not tolerate insolence, and then he's really frightened, what if Dumbledore is angry with him? Dumbledore is never angry with him, Dumbledore never punishes him, but now Dumbledore must be angry because he is punishing him.

His head is aching, hurting, and his throat is closing up, he doesn't understand why until he realises that he's blinking back tears and he thinks, Albus, why are you doing this to me, why are you hurting me like this? I did the _right_ thing, I came to you and I told you about the Unbreakable Vow, and I told you I would break it, I thought you'd be pleased because I was doing the right thing. God damn it, Albus, I was going to do the noble thing, the Gryffindor thing, do what Potter would do, and I thought you'd be _pleased_. But you weren't pleased, you wanted me to keep the Vow, and you _mocked_ me, you laughed at what Phineas Nigellus always says about Slytherins – given the choice, they will always choose to save themselves. I don't understand, it's in my Ministry file, in the confession you made me sign, "I enjoy killing. I don't do it any more. I know it is wrong," you told me it was _wrong_, but now you want me to do it again.

And now he's panicking, he knows he's panicking, a part of him is standing off and watching from a distance, commenting nastily, "Watch it, Snape, you're cracking up, cracking up big time, you'll be in St Mungo's before midnight, in the same ward as Frank and Alice Longbottom, better hope they don't recognize you, Snape," but he can't stop it, he can't stop his thoughts from unraveling, becoming an irrational, childish, chaotic flow of fear and pain. Albus, don't you understand what it means if I fulfil the Vow, Draco can't do it, he'll never do it, and I'll have to do it, and you're _abandoning_ me, you're leaving me alone to face the music, how big a reward will the Ministry offer for _my_ head if it was ten thousand Galleons for Black? They'll print my Ministry file in the _Daily Prophet_ and dig up all the old muck about the Prince family, the Aurors and the Order will hunt me down like a dog, I'll die anyway, and they'll bury me in an unmarked grave at Azkaban, and say you were a fool to trust me, a fool to trust the spawn of a shameful family, a fool to trust the half-blood Prince, and if the Aurors and the Order don't get me, I'll belong to the Dark Lord again. Why are you punishing me like this, Albus, why are you giving me back to _him?_ Is it because I don't matter, I'm just a filthy Slytherin, I'm not one of your golden Gryffindors? I've been good, Albus, I haven't touched Dark magic for fifteen years but it's not enough, what do I have to do to please you? The things the Dark Lord will make me do, I want to do them, but I don't do bad things any more, I don't want you to be angry with me, Albus, and if I do bad things again, you will be angry with me, and that hurts. And suddenly he's six years old again, and his father is angry, he's crying, "Dad, don't be angry, I've been good, I didn't do any magic today, I didn't do any freaky things today," but it wasn't enough, it was never enough, he still got the back of his father's hand, and often worse.

He stands with his arms folded, he'd asked Dumbledore to meet him in the Forbidden Forest but now he can't say a word, he's struggling not to lose control, struggling to keep his barriers up, he's paralyzed with fear and the only thought he can hold on to is, _if I crack up like this in the presence of the Dark Lord, I'm __**dead**_.

Finally, Dumbledore breaks the silence, asks, "How are you going with Draco?"

He gets a grip on himself, somehow musters one of his legendary sneers, and with a tremendous effort he answers calmly, "Aunt Bellatrix has taught him both to distrust me, and the rudiments of Occlumency. I must say, Headmaster, Draco seems to have quite an aptitude for Occlumency – unlike _Potter_. I can't break into Draco's mind without using techniques of which you would not approve, and which in any event the Unbreakable Vow precludes me from applying."

But just speaking of the Vow aloud is enough to break him, it's as if a dam has been breached, he's completely out of control, he can't stop the tears and he's shouting, "YOU TAKE TOO MUCH FOR GRANTED, DUMBLEDORE, AND I WON'T DO IT! I'VE HAD ENOUGH, I WANT OUT, I WANT IT TO END, I DON'T CARE ANY MORE!"

Somehow his wand is in his hand, it's an instinctive action, a reflex, he reaches for his wand whenever he feels threatened, green sparks are showering from the tip of his wand, he can feel his magic building around him and when it discharges there's going to be one hell of a blast, and it will be over, he'll be dead and it will be over, he'll be free, free of the pain and the fear and the gnawing hunger that never stops, no matter how hard he tries to feed it.

But now the Headmaster is shouting, his master is shouting, he can't understand what his master is saying but his master is angry with him, he has dared to defy his master, drawn his wand in his master's presence, and some deep survival instinct wells up in him. He drops to his knees, cringes like a dog, and kisses his master's robes, trembling and whimpering, "Master, I am sorry, do not punish me …"


	3. Chapter 3: Rubeus Hagrid

**Dumbledore was pretty firm with him**

**Chapter 3: Hagrid**

He's worried about Aragog, he isn't well, he's not eating properly, so he's going into the Forbidden Forest to offer him something special, a little tidbit, a brace of ferrets. He thinks, gloomily, well Aragog is over fifty years old, that's a good age for an Acromantula, but it will be a wrench to lose him, he was such a dear little thing when he first hatched, no bigger than a Pekinese, and even cuter than Norbert. I've lost a few pets over the years, but Aragog is _special_ … I was expelled from Hogwarts because of him, they broke my wand, but it was worth it, things couldn't have turned out better – me, a Hogwarts teacher!

He remembers the night that Aragog fled from the castle, the night that Tom Riddle won his Special Services award, and he thinks, I dunno, Tom seemed alright to me … just trying to do the right thing, trying to look after the other students, Aragog wouldn't have hurt a fly but he does look a bit scary if you're not used to Acromantula, but Dumbledore says Tom Riddle is … You-Know-Who, and if Dumbledore says so, it must be so … great man, Dumbledore.

He thinks, remembering those long ago days before he was expelled, it's funny to have Professor Slughorn back again, he was Head of Slytherin back when I was a student! And Professor Snape's teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts, good thing he knows so much about the Dark Arts, the Headmaster says poor Katie Bell would have died if he hadn't been able to stop the curse spreading …. speak of the devil, here he comes now!

He leans against a tree, enjoying the peace and quiet of the forest, and watching Snape striding along the edge of the trees, no mistaking his prowling walk. He idly wonders what takes Snape into the Forest, but he isn't surprised to see him, probably collecting some valuable Potions stuff from the Forest, a teacher's salary isn't large and stuff from the Forest, that's one of the perks of the job, isn't it? And Professor Snape can look after himself in the Forest, the centaurs don't like him, but they don't bother him, either, he went into the Forest to look for Harry the night of the battle at the Ministry, never mind the centaurs, and they would've been in a right state that night …. Professor Snape's a bit like a thestral, he can look after himself alright.

He thinks, people are a lot like Magical Creatures, really, it's a game he likes to play sometimes, forget what people say and just watch what they do, and Snape, well, he's bit like a phoenix, because a phoenix is very loyal, and Snape is loyal to Dumbledore. He knows what they say, "How do we know Snape can be trusted," why isn't Dumbledore's word good enough for them? But they don't see Snape with Dumbledore in staff meetings, when he can't hide how much he likes it when the Headmaster comes in and stands behind his chair and puts his hand on his shoulder, yep, Snape gives McGonagall a look that means, plain as day, you're the Deputy Headmistress but I'm his favourite.

And Snape's something like a centaur, 'cause they would never hurt a foal but they can be pretty hard on adults, look what they did to Umbridge, not that it was near enough, the horrible _bitch_. He thinks, if the Headmaster had known about Umbridge's detention quill and how she used it against Harry, he might not have been so quick to fetch her out of the Forest … Harry, well Snape's definitely got something against Harry, when Harry comes of age, when he's an adult, there's going to be trouble between the two of them, Snape won't rest until it's been sorted out, once and for all, which of them is top dog, and the Professor might get a bit of a shock, Harry's going to be a very powerful wizard when he grows up …

He thinks, the kids are growing up fast, look at Hermione, she's growing up to be a very attractive young lady, didn't she look _smashing_ at the Yule Ball, that night she walked into the Great Hall with Victor Krum? And wouldn't Hermione be amazed to know that even snarky Professor Snape had noticed? He remembers how Snape's eyes had narrowed when he realised that the attractive girl in blue robes was Hermione Granger, and he smiles, yep, Professor Snape is something like a unicorn, 'cause he prefers women and girls to men and boys. Yep, the Professor definitely likes girls, not that there is any hanky panky between staff and students at Hogwarts, thank goodness, not like the things that go on at Beauxbatons – or would, if Olympe didn't keep a sharp eye out – of course when you have girls with Veela blood, that's asking for trouble, that is. Oh, Professor Snape's a bit of a dark horse, he is, he's been nicking off practically every Saturday night lately, and not to Hogsmeade, either, probably got a girlfriend in London, 'cause often he's not back until Monday morning.

London, it's alright for a visit but I wouldn't want to live there, he thinks, and definitely no place for a Hippogriff, Buckbeak – Witherwings – is much better off back at Hogwarts, of course he still misses Sirius a lot, but it can't be helped … come to think of it, Professor Snape is mostly like a Hippogriff, if you just treat him with respect, he's alright. People think Hippogriffs are dangerous but you just need to know how to treat them and they're as gentle as lambs, of course if they've been knocked around as young ones as some bloody fools do, then you can't trust them, they're unmanageable.

He's just about to pick up his ferrets and head into the Forest when he hears shouting, it's Snape's voice, what's he shouting, "YOU TAKE TOO MUCH FOR GRANTED, DUMBLEDORE, AND I WON'T DO IT! I'VE HAD ENOUGH, I WANT OUT, I WANT IT TO END, I DON'T CARE ANY MORE!"

He thinks, bugger, I don't think anyone was supposed to overhear that, sounds like Snape is feeling a bit overworked … sounds a bit more serious than one of his regular little spats with the Headmaster, think I'll just clear off, I don't want to hear any more of this.

Then he hears Dumbledore shouting, "PROFESSOR SNAPE, YOU WILL DO WHAT YOU HAVE AGREED TO DO, YOU WILL CONTINUE WITH YOUR INVESTIGATIONS INTO SLYTHERIN HOUSE, AND YOU WILL REMEMBER THAT **_I_** AM THE HEADMASTER OF THIS SCHOOL!"

And then he feels the shockwave of dissipating magic swirling past him, tingling his half-giant skin, it doesn't hurt him but Merlin, it was pretty strong, and not Dumbledore's magic, either, something dark and bitter.

He thinks, I dunno what that was about but Dumbledore sounded pretty angry … must be something to do with that blasted necklace, the Headmaster would only get that angry if it was about the students, something threatening the students. I'll be keeping my mouth shut about _this_, it's none of my business whatever the Headmaster and the Head of Slytherin House are fighting about in the Forbidden Forest, I wish I hadn't heard a word.


End file.
